I've been meaning to post this forever ago but heck, better late than never. Earlier this year I was asked alongside a few other local bloggers to intrepret and create the lookbook for the very talented and very lovely Lee Ann Lacroix's newest initiative Osolee, an online jewelry shop that offers pieces with just the right amount of tough luxe.

I just so happen to love lookbooks that transcend the garment or piece and are, instead, relevant to the style or overall vibe of the brand--which is why I was so excited to be asked to be part of Osolee's launch. Each blogger was asked to represent a piece from Lee Ann's collection based on their own style. Be sure to check out the Osolee website to see the entire lookbook.

Thanks again to Lee Ann and Carolynn Lacasse for the great opportunity. x

Change is probably one of the hardest things to implement in one’s life because it takes courage, effort and endurance. It isn’t just a matter of putting left foot in front of right, it’s making the conscience decision to put the left in front of the right every time--so it's very easy to slip up or give up.

I've always felt that as an artist, or anyone working in a creative field, it's part of the job to be in and out of an unsatisfied state, and to constantly make changes, in some way or another, to grapple with the space between fulfillment and angst.

....but before I continue my ranty speech allow me to rewind a bit....

I left my job yesterday. Not a big deal except I loved my job, I loved the company I was part of, I loved my boss and all my colleagues. I spent the last year and a half involved in some fantastic projects on behave of an incredible organization . And I was actually writing. For any of you reading this who are also writers, getting people to pay you in things other than favours to write for them is not always easy. But regardless of all of this, there was something important missing and there had been for a long time--I couldn't bear to settle with longing for the unknown any more.

I've always felt like I've been one of those heroines too high strung for a normal* (*read: steady, stable, fixed) existence so now that the cord that tied me to some semblance of a structured life has been cut, the world is, as they say, my oyster. I have no plans at all. In fact I have no idea what I want, I only know what I don't want--and the things I don't want are to feel too comfortable and too complacent. Reaching a sense of satisfaction is like reaching a state of happiness--you get there and then what? As scary and exciting as it is to tear life up without having any idea of what to do with the pieces, I'm strangely comforted by the fact that I haven't stopped looking for something different. Something more.

You create your own reality. You chose how you feel about the outside world, other people.. you’re even free to chose how you feel about yourself--although, we often forget that.

You don’t have to be down today, you don’t have to be regretful of the past, you don't have to be the version of yourself that others like and you can't stand. Don't stop. Don't change. Stay beautiful. Sometimes, happiness is much simpler than we make it out to be.

Think about it. Scratch it on paper, a napkin, the back of your hand. Let it keep you up all night. Grab the materials without thinking. Lay it out. Lap it up. Cut it. Destroy it. Mend it. Reunite everything. Peel away the layers slowly. Rip into the meaning quickly. Tag it. Scrutinize it. Hang it on your wall. Try to ignore it. Wake up in the middle of the night and look at it in the dark. Take a picture of it. Take 20 more pictures of it. Edit. Re-edit. Keep it simple. Kiss it goodbye. That's my process in a nutshell.

Falling in like is the worst. Falling in like will lead to things such as bruised hips, sleepless nights and hallucinations of a marching band passing through my head.

Sure, it’s poetic but it’s also exposing. Falling in like leads to saying things I mean but shouldn't say. And I need control.

So here's the problem: do I let myself continue to fall helplessly in like, or do I start to sabotage it and slowly pick at it like a scab? Or what's worse--do I even get to choose--will I find myself potentially ruining something because I lack the willpower not to? Or will I tear it apart little by little just to beat him to the punch?

This is not a cute dilemma. This is something that is going to end in a rich flavor of hell.

Cue the marching band. Cue the blurry vision and careless decision making. We’ll leave the sabotage-talk for another late night as I contemplate the ins and outs of hour-long kisses and gazes that singe my lashes.

Two weeks ago my friend Remi asked me to help him out for a photo project commissioned by Milk for their Prom Switch Photo contest. He said "cross dressing in the street?" and I said "I'm in!" As you can see by the results, no regrets were had.

Remi and I had spent a wonderful afternoon dressing up, and down, while amassing a small neighborhood audience and experiencing only minor humiliation and few accidental gropings.

Hello Prom Season! The dresses, the dancing, the decorations, the end of high school? Think this time of year couldn’t get any more exciting? Well, Milk is about to make it even more awesome!

To get in the spirit for Prom 2012, we want YOU to get a little bit creative and take part in Ottawa’s funnest contest of the season!

Welcome to Prom Switch! Inspired by Hana Pesut’s “Switcheroo” series, we decided to take a spin of our own.

Here’s the low-down:

Partner up with your prom date or a friend and take two photos - first wearing your own outfits, and then in the next photo… switch!

Milk will be creating a Facebook album with all of the photos. Participants will have ONE WEEK to get as many people as possible to “LIKE” their photo.

The winner will get an amazing prom prize pack featuring some of our favourite places to help you get prom ready! Including a manicure/pedicure, hair styling, make up application, flowers and a gift card for jewelry! How could you resist?!